Battle Scars
by Tauntingly Haunted
Summary: Rose Hathaway has been tortured and left scarred, but the worst thing is that Lissa has disapeared. Can she find her before its too late? Will the gorgeous Dimitri Belikov distract her?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! Sorry this is kind of short, but this is my first story so please review!**

_What if I never get the chance to fall in love? _I thought.

A streak of silver flashed in my peripheral vision. The blade came closer. Before it could plunge into my stomach, I neatly dodged it and sent a foot flying up to crush my attacker's knee. He crumpled in pain; however, his buddy stepped up to take me down.

"You wanna try? C'mon Let's go!" I taunted him. I settled into a fighting stance and bounced on the balls of my feet. He lunged at me, and I swung out of his grasping arms. Stumbling, he charged at me again. He cocked his right arm back. This time, I wasn't as quick.

Stars blossomed behind my eyes. I tried to right myself, but he was there on top of me. Now he had the deadly knife of his impaired friend. He held it slightly above me with a sneer spread across his revolting features.

"Tell me! Where is she? Where is Lissa Dragomir?" He screamed in my face. I growled back at him.

"I would never tell you!"

"TELL ME!" This time, I just spat in his face as way of response. "You're going to pay for that one," His slimy voice whispered close to me. A fiery burning spread its way across my arm. I realized that the blade had painstakingly crawled its way down my arm, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. My tormentor pinned me down so I wouldn't escape. My lip throbbed where I bit into it to contain the budding scream that bubbled in my stomach.

"TELL ME!" he yelled.

"NO!" I bucked my body in futile hopes of fleeing. All that came out of this attempt was for another agonizing line to be carved into my skin. This continued on for what seemed like an excruciatingly long eternity before he let up.

"Looks like you won't talk then." As he said this, he marked my face with a powerful swipe of his weapon. I couldn't restrain myself. I howled loud enough to wake the dead that surely lay beneath me in the dank alleyway.

"Something to remember me by," he said menacingly. Roughly, he pushed my shirt off of my shoulder. He held the knife so that it barely brushed my skin. "Tell me where she is, and I'll stop." In response I wriggled my body in one last effort to get away. It was no use. My body was totally drained. The torture had sapped all of my strength.

Blood streamed from my face into my eyes and mixed with the tears that sprouted there. The knife sliced something right below my collarbone. I whimpered in anguish.

"I'll be back," he threatened as he stalked off. Under different circumstances, this would have called for a patented witty Rose Hathaway quip. As it was, I just lay discarded on the cold pavement as the world turned black.


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is a little bit longer than the first one. Please review! Thanks!**

Ugh. My entire body felt like it had gone through a million shards of glass. I tried to sit up, but that only made it worse. I slumped back to the bed.

_A bed? _Where am I? I slowly took in my surroundings. i was in a sterile white hospital room with beeping machines around me. Suddenly, I sensed movement.

Ignoring the pain that jolted through my body, I jumped off of the bed into a defensive stance. Unfortunately, I had no weapon to defend my self with other than my aching body.

That was odd. My would be attacker just stood there with his hands at his sides. My eyes skittered over him like a frightened animal. He towered over me at well over six feet. Soft brown hair was tied at the nape of his neck. My eyes followed a pathway over his lean muscled body before resting at his chiseled face. Liquid brown eyes gazed back at me.

"You're going to open your cuts up again if you don't lay back down," he said with a slight Russian accent. Sure enough, I could already feel blood seeping out from under the bandages. I couldn't relax, though; I had no idea who he was.

Sensing my distrust, he slowly raised his hands in an attempt to appear harmless. It was hard to see him as anything but dangerous. "I'm not going to hurt you," he soothed. My fist instinct was to not trust him, but he had bandaged the slashed on my body. Why would he do that if he was my enemy?

"Who are you?," I finally asked. I only slightly relaxed my body as I saw that he was most likely not going to hurt me.

"Guardian Dimitri Belikov," he replied, his eyes never leaving mine.

_Oh No! _ That meant I was back at the Academy. My body turned to ice. Immediately, I tensed myself, ready for what was to come.

"Where is she?" My voice was high and shrill and shook with either anger or fear; I didn't really know. "Where's Lissa?"

For a moment, a pained look flashed across Dimitri's face se fleetingly that I could have imagined it.

"What?" I demanded instantly worried.

"We don't know where she is. She's disappeared. We were hoping you could help us find her," he said sounding almost nervous.

Fear flooded through me as I wondered how he knew about our bond that enabled me to read her mind. Then, I realized that there was no way he could have known about it. No one knew about Lissa and her spirit capabilities. I was about to reply when all of a sudden, pain ripped through my stomach.

I doubled over and bit my lip hard enough to draw blood. Soon, the pain eased enough for me to stand up again. My breathing was ragged.

I looked up and met Dimitri's eyes. He looked completely baffled, but he had had enough sense to help me to the bed.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a frantic edge to his voice.

"It's Li-" Right as I replying, a scream erupted from my mouth and tore through the room. There was no chance of containing it. I felt a pair of firm arms hold me down to keep me from hurting myself. Mind numbing pain engulfed me as I felt myself fall unconscious. Again.

* * *

A little while later, I awoke to the same hospital room. At first I was disoriented, but then reality hit me.

_Lissa!_

She was in danger. I slipped into her head.

Lissa was lying on a bed just staring at the ceiling. It was an ornately carved ceiling painted in gold and red. Wow. This was a fancy room. It's much better than my harsh hospital room. The bed she lay on was downy and fluffy against her raw skin.

"Hey, are you feeling better now?" a voice asked her. She turned her head to look at him.

Christian Ozera.

He was a Moiroi, one of the royal line. _What was he doing around her?_ Everyone knew he was a bad influence. His parents had turned Strigoi and attempted to turn him, too.

Christian walked closer to Lissa and bent down. His lips met Lissa's in a very intimate kiss. Startled, I quickly pulled out of Lissa's head. She was safe enough for now.

* * *

I came out of my reverie to see Dimitri sitting in the chair fast asleep. His head lolled back adorably. I snuck out of the room and into an adjoining bathroom. I gasped when I saw myself. Bandages covered the majority of my skin. I even had one on my face.

Slowly, I peeled it off to look at the damage. I grimaced at what I saw.

A long gash ran across my cheek right up to my mouth. It was pink and puffy right now, making me wonder how long I've been unconscious. It takes time for this to heal this much. I moved my arm up to my face when pain shot through my chest. I pulled at my shirt and saw another bandage almost right above my heart.

I pulled that one off as well. Underneath was a "V" with star around. I remembered my torturers words, _"Something to remember me by."_

I shuddered as I remember the agonizing slashing of the blade.

I'm going to be scarred for the rest of my life. The lines had been drawn across my arms, my stomach, and even my legs. They weren't going away.

At least I got them while saving Lissa. She was all that mattered. If she was dead or taken, I might as well be dead. She could go on without me, though. And a couple - okay maybe more than a couple - scars couldn't compare to her safety.

Still, I'm hideous.

That doesn't matter though because I can still fight and protect Lissa - if I can find her.

But I will be stared at a lot.

I will get over it. I look tough now.

As I was contemplating the pros and cons of my battle wounds, Dimitri opened the door. He looked visibly relieved when he saw me there. He must have thought I had tried to escape.

"Hey. Are you okay?" he asked gently. It reminded me of what Christian had said earlier.

"Yeah. I'm fine," I said, but not really believing it. I was anything but fine. Lissa needed me, but she was gone. My body was horribly disfigured, and I was stuck at the Academy with my hot captor.

So maybe not _everything _was terrible, but most of it was.

"There's food in the room. you must be hungry." As if hearing his words, my stomach rumbled. Numbly, I walked back out and sat at a small table. I ate without even tasting the food. I think I was in shock. Dimitri didn't say anything. He just sat back in his chair and read a book.

As soon as I was finished my food, I demanded, "I want to see Kirova." Dimitri looked startled by my sudden outburst, but I didn't back down. I stared at him until he sighed.

"Fine, but remember. You asked, not me." With that, he led me out of the room and began walking down a hallway to the familiar ground that awaited me.


	3. Chapter 3

We walked in silence with only our footsteps echoing throughout the harshly lit hallway. I sighed thinking of what was to come. Kirova ran the Academy which was a school to train damphirs into guardians and to let the teenage moroi go to school in safety. I pretty much grew up here. My mother was a guardian - a pretty badass one, by the way - which meant she was never around. I had no idea who my father was, but this wasn't uncommon. He was probably just some rich stuck up moroi that had a fling with the amazing Janine Hathaway. She was pretty young when she had me.

It was a good thing I knew this school so well, otherwise I would have been utterly lost. While I had been daydreaming, my feet had remembered the path to the headmistresses office. After all, I had been here quite a bit.

Soon, we arrived at the dreaded room. I shuddered to think of all the times I had been bitched out here. Let's just say I wasn't the best student they've ever had.

Dimitri knocked on the door. "Come in," said a voice from behind it.

We entered to find Kirova sitting in a high-backed chair behind a wooden desk. As we walked in, the woman's mouth tightened into a thin line.

"Ah, Rosemarie Hathaway. What a pleasure it is to have you back under our care," she said with just a hint of sarcasm. I gritted my teeth at the use of my full name.

"It's Rose and the pleasure is entirely all mine," I said with a mocking flourish.

"So tell me. Where is the Dragomir princess? You were the one that kidnapped her and escaped. You should have been the one to keep her safe," She said. Immediately, an anger burned its way up through my stomach. I tried to keep control but was having a little difficulty.

"I didn't _kidnap _her! She was in trouble here so I took her away! She came with me willingly! As for keeping her safe, I did pretty damn well!" I said, but my voice shook from controlling the urge to scream in her face. My voice lowered to shameful whisper when I said, "But I did fail her. I was meant to protect her, but I failed. I tried. I didn't tell them where she was, even when they -" I broke off, not wanting to say it.

Kirova's face had softened some at my words, but still she continued on. "Yes, you did fail, but you were strong." Her expression turned thoughtful. "While we look for the princess, you can train with Guardian Belikov here. I don't think it would be appropriate for you to go back to classes, but you do need to keep up your skills. You are at least two years behind the other novices."

This sounded alright until I realized something. "Wait! I need to help look for Lissa. She's safe at the moment - I think - but I don't know for how much longer."

Confusion spread across her face. "What do you mean when you say that you know she's safe? How do you know?"

"Because we are bonded."

"What?" she gasped. As soon as the shock came, her guardian mask was back. "Explain."

"Well, it started with the car crash," I started hesitantly. I didn't want to reveal Lissa's secret, but it was necessary. "See, Lissa has a rare ability. She is a spirit user. She can heal stuff and do stuff like that. When the car crashed, I died too. She used her spirit affinity to pull me back from the dead. This created a bond between us. I can slip into her head and read her thoughts and see stuff from her view. She is with this moroi Christian Ozera. I don't know how she knows him, though." Throughout my explanation, Dimitri and Kirova looked overwhelmed. I decided to bring them back to reality by asking, "How long have I been here?"

This time, it was Dimitri who answered. "A month."

_Ah, shit._

* * *

**And this chapter shall end. Sorry its short again, but it seemed like a good place to stop. Also, I just can't think of what to do next. I have too many ideas! Message me with ideas if you want! AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:I do not own Vampire Academy or any of the characters (I wish). **

**Enjoy my fantastically amazing story! Here's chapter 4! **

**Just warning you - her darkness is back *insert maniacal laugh here***

* * *

"A MONTH! I'VE BEEN HERE A MONTH?" I screamed at them in shock. Oh, god. What about Lissa? The foggy haze of panic filled my mind. Oh god. Oh god Oh god.

Dimly, I heard the sound of a voice calling my name, but I paid it no heed. All I could think about was Lissa. She was so beautiful. What if someone hurt her? Oh god. That would destroy everything. She was too delicate to be hurt. Delicate like a dove. A dove flying in the sunset. Oh, that would be so pretty. They are so peaceful. It would be so easy just to grab them and put your fingers around their tiny little necks and -

"ROSE!" Finally, the voice pierced through my reverie. I focused my eyes to see a 6'7" Russian god standing in front of me. Did I really just think that? I shook my head to try to clear it of the previous thoughts.

"Are you alright? You kind of drifted of for a moment there," Dimitri said in a concerned voice.

I realized that my rambling thoughts sounded somewhat like Lissa when spirit got to be too much. "Uh, yeah I'm fine. I was just worried about Lissa."

"You just said it yourself to Headmistress Kirova. Lissa is safe." After a moments hesitation he said, "Right?"

Quickly, I looked in on Lissa.

This time, she was standing in a café waiting on someone. Her fingers tapped against the table and her coffee was slowly going cold.

She's been here awhile. I wonder who she was waiting on.

My answer came soon enough.

A dark-haired blue-eyed teenager walked over to her. Lissa's face brightened as he sat down.

Christian.

Mentally, I groaned. Not him again.

He sat down at the table and looked at her with worry.

"What's wrong, baby," he asked softly.

WOAH! BABY? What the hell was going on here?

Lissa was exhausted. Her outfit was meticulously planned and looked perfect, as well as her hair, but her naturally pale, luminescent skin now just looked wan and sickly. Dark circles drooped under her eyes. She was trying to hide it, but Christian somehow noticed everything.

She looked down at the table as tears sprung from her eyes. Christian's face melted into a soft looked that seemed to grace his sharp features surprisingly well. He came around the table and enveloped her in a hug.

"It's okay. We'll find her. She's out there. This is Rose we're talking about. From what you've told me she can handle herself. Besides, she sacrificed herself to save you. She wouldn't want you to get hurt," Christian murmured into her hair.

I got the feeling that I might warm up to the guy - as long as he didn't hurt her. Then, i would have to kick his ass.

Content that she was safe, I pulled my mind away from her's.

Back in the office, Dimitri still awaited my answer.

"Yeah. She's fine - for now." He sighed in relief. "But we need to find her. And soon," I finished sharply.

This time is was Kirova who answered. "We will, Rose. We will."

* * *

Several hours later, I was back in the gym. This was my favorite place in the entire school. I was a good fighter - one of the best. This was the place I didn't have to sit in a seat all day and listen to a teacher lecture about the basics of guardian theory. That was Stan Alto's class; he absolutely hated me. The feeling was mutual.

"What are we going to do today, Comrade," I asked.

"You will be running laps," he said with a smug look.

"What? How will that help get Lissa back?"

"It will be good for you," he replied with a zen like answer

"Learning to fight will be good for me!"

"Look, Rose. What happens when there are too many strigoi to fight? What do you do then?" he demanded, looking slightly exasperated.

"You run." no use arguing with that logic.

"Besides, this will teach you good discipline and self-control," he said to further persuade me. All it did was tick me off.

"OKAY! I get it! I need to know how to flee. Jeez."

We went out to the track in the biting cold wind. I forgot how freezing it can get here in Montana. As I did lap after lap, he sat there in his long duster reading a book. God, what an ass.

Finally, he called for me to stop. I slowed to a walk as I neared him.

"How's the book, Comrade?"

"It's just fine, thanks for asking." I laughed when I saw the cover.

"A western? You like Westerns?" I said with a ginormous grin on my face.

"Get inside, now!" he followed after me, shaking his head.

* * *

Now I stood facing Dimitri as he showed me an offensive maneuver. "Got it?" he asked.

"Yup." I spun and attempted to kick him while my right hand jabbed out to punch him in the gut, but it never reached its destination. Dimitri had deflected my blow and fluidly moved out of the way. Damn. He had skill.

I pushed out any lingering thoughts as we continued to spar. Finally, I managed to get a few good blows in before he tackled me.

"Come on Rose. You can do better," he said disapprovingly.

"All of those laps tired me out!" I said, offended.

"That is why you need to get your endurance level up. You can fight for longer and not get as sloppy." He always seemed to have an explanation for everything. A day with him - or at least one where I was conscious - and he was already grating at my nerves.

Out of nowhere, an immediate danger grasped at the edges of my mind.

_Oh, NO! Lissa! _

She and Christian were walking down the street at night arm in arm. _Why were they out at night? Are they idiots?_

It didn't take long for them to notice that they were being followed. The couple attempted to speed up when a pair of red eyes emerged from the darkness of the shadows. He growled before leaping.

Straight for Lissa's throat.

I screamed in helplessness as I watched my precious charge be attacked.

Right before he could touch her, though, flames grew up around him. They singed his skin making him scream. Eventually, the screams died out as the strigoi was burned to a crisp.

Christian was a fire user.

He just saved Lissa's life.

But it wasn't over yet.

Not by a long shot.

There were more strigoi coming.

And they wanted Lissa.

* * *

**Cliff Hanger! Haha. Just want to keep you guys reading :)**

**Please review. It makes me want to write more. Don't want to let my readers down.**

**Also, send me suggestions about what might happen in the future with Dimitri and Rose and about what happened with Lissa and Christian while Rose was knocked out. :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Everything's dead

**Hey! I was so excited that I wrote another chapter tonight! I know how much I hate waiting for stories to be updated so I thought I should update this one because I have nothing else to do. This one should be more exciting! Enjoy :)**

* * *

_Shit! _I needed to help Lissa! I could feel them behind her. They had started running immediately after the first strigoi went up in flames, but the others were quickly gaining on them. I felt so helpless here. All I could do was sit here and watch while worrying that somehow a miracle would happen, and they would escape.

Highly unlikely.

At the edge of my - Lissa's, actually - vision, I saw a church!

_A church! _

Everyone who grew up hearing about strigoi know that a church is one of the safest places you can be. Strigoi can't cross the holy grounds. There was a church near them. Strigoi chasing friends + church = no death for said friends.

Now if only they would notice it . . .

I was practically screaming at Lissa in my head, but of course this damn bond was only one way.

I could feel Lissa's heartbeat quicken and her breathing grow shallower. Her legs began to tire. Her running became sloppier and sloppier with each step. It didn't take much. It was only a loose stone. She was too busy looking over her shoulder at the approaching strigoi to notice it.

It almost seemed to happen in slow motion.

Her toe hit the rock. She stumbled. Blood started to gush from her skinned knee. This just motivated the strigoi more. Labored breathing. A twisted ankle. Christian screaming something. Looking up to see her doom. Red blazing eyes. Darkness.

I was shoved out of her mind when she fell unconscious. I looked around at my surroundings, not recognizing anything at first.

I was laying on the mat panting. Silent tears were streaming down my cheeks that were mashed against the floor. I felt a warm pair of hands gently turn me over.

I looked up to see Dimitri hovering over me. He looked worried. His soft hands stroked my hair as he murmured something over and over to me again. I couldn't understand it, though. The tears were still coming, and it didn't look like they would be stopping anytime soon.

Eventually, a couple of Dmitri's words got through. Most of them sounded like gibberish, but the few I could make out were, "Oh, Roza. What's wrong? What happened? Everything's going to be okay. Shh Roza. It's okay. It's okay. Roza."

My sobs slowly dwindled down into silent heavings of my chest. Finally, I could talk.

"It's Lissa. She was attacked," I managed to choke out. "Christian lit one on fire then they ran, but Lissa was running and she-she did-didn't see it." I was stuttering, but I hoped he understood.

"Didn't see what, Roza?" He asked me softly.

"Th-the rock. She tripped. She tripped and it got her." A look of horror and shock crossed his face.

"Oh, no. Oh, no!" Then he started what I could only guess was cursing. It was in a different language - probably Russian.

We sat there on the mat. Life had beaten us down one too many times. We couldn't stand up anymore. I didn't have the energy or the will. Lissa was dead. my life worth living was dead.

Everything was dead.

* * *

**The suspense! Sorry this was such a short chapter, but it is soooooo important and it needs to be short. Making it longer would have ruined the entire effect of Lissa's 'death' . . . **


	6. Chapter 6: Helpless

**Here is a little bit of Dimitri's POV. Just thought you guys should know what's been going on in his head. **

* * *

DPOV

One minute, she was just standing there ready to fight. The next, her eyes were wide and unfocused. They flickered back and forth in unseen panic. She must be with Lissa. What was happening that pulled Rose out of the middle of a training session?

This was bad.

I could tell that Rose was one of the most dedicated and motivated novices I'd ever meet. Even though she had complained about running, she knew it was the truth. Her annoyance with it did not stop her from pushing herself. She ran a lot in the short time that I had let her, and despite what I had told her about our sparring not being that good, it was actually surprisingly good.

Rose was on the run with Lissa for nearly two years. I don't know whether she kept up her training or not, but regardless she was good.

But she could be great if they had stayed.

And I hated to see such a strong person like Rose suddenly start weeping because that was what she was doing.

Then, I saw her start to totter. I tried to grab her, but I wasn't quick enough. She fell to the sweaty mat with a loud thump. I winced. That was going to leave a bruise.

Rose's mouth opened in a silent scream. Her face was frozen into a mask of horror.

I felt so helpless. I couldn't do anything to help her. My beautiful Roza. She looked like she was in so much pain.

Gasping, she came back to reality. Immediately, sobs racked her poor, broken body. I turned her over so that she was more comfortable and stroked her hair while murmuring reassuring words to her in Russian.

in English, I said, "Oh, Roza. What's wrong? What happened? Everything's going to be okay. Shh Roza. It's okay. It's okay. Roza."

Slowly, she managed to control the painful looking weeping so that she could talk. "It's Lissa. She was attacked. Christian lit one on fire. Then they ran, but Lissa was running and she-she did-didn't see it." I could barely make out what she was saying because she was stuttering so badly.

"Didn't see what, Roza?" I asked.

"Th-the rock. She tripped. She tripped and it got her."

"Oh, no. Oh, no!" This could not be happening. I cursed in my native tongue. The last of the Dragomirs were dead. There were none left. Gone.

I pulled a nearly limp Rose into my lap and held her tight as a tear trickled down my cheek.

* * *

A little while later, I knew we had to get up and tell someone. Besides, it wasn't proper. I had my student sitting on my lap. That would not go over well with Kirova.

I gently moved her off of my lap only to find that she had silently cried herself to sleep without my knowing it. I picked her up bridal style and carried her down the hallway. When I arrived at her old dorm room, I cradled her toned body in one arm so that I could unlock the door.

When I entered, the room was encased in darkness, but I flipped the switch on to see where we were going. The room was sparse with only a pile of generic clothes on the dresser. They didn't even look like hers. I had found her that dreadful night just lying in the freezing alley. At first, I had thought she was dead. I got a good look at her face, and I realized that I knew her. Kirova had told me about her and Lissa and shown me some pictures.

I could barely tell it was her, though. There was so much blood. It dripped down her face into her eyes. It soaked through her shirt. It fell in a puddle around her prone body. Just thinking about it made me want to simultaneously want to cry and gag.

I put her down on the bed after I pulled down the covers. I tucked them up around her in a warm protecting embrace.

She looked so peaceful now. The light glinted off of the gash on her cheek and the scars dotting her arms. Poor Rose. She still hasn't fully explained what happened to her. I don't know if she ever will. I can't say I blame her.

I turned and walked out, closing the door softly behind me.

* * *

**This one is a lot of thinking. Sorry there isn't that much action. The next chapter might have a little bit of Lissa or Christian's POV - which will explain how they met - but I need reviews before I will write it!If you guys review I will start to write longer chapters. I know these are kind of short - sorry about that. SO REVIEW PLEASE! (:**


	7. Chapter 7:Getting Busy in a Church

**Hey guys! I can't believe I'm already on chapter 7! wow that went fast. I just want to give a special thanks to my very loyal follower/reviewer RozaRocks: Thanks soooo much! I just love seeing a good review :) **

**Also thanks to my other reviewer TheKissOfDeath21 :)**

**This is going to have some Lissa POV! Enjoy :)**

* * *

LPOV

I woke up feeling very, very dead.

At least I wish I was.

The last thing I remember was a pair of red eyes pouncing on me. How am I still alive?

I am still alive, right? Wait, I wouldn't be in this much pain if I was dead. I must be alive, but how?

Groaning, I sat up on a hard wooden surface. It turned out to be a pew.

_What happened?_

Immediately, I felt a pair of steady hands support me from the back. Christian. I looked up into his piercing blue eyes that were clouded with worry but had a spark of love.

"What happened?" I asked shakily.

After a moment's hesitation, he said, "When you fell, the strigoi attacked you. I umm set him on fire, but it accidentaly got you too. I'm so sorry, Lissa. I didn't mean to." He looked absolutely guilt stricken. I carefully examined my body to find only one or two spots that were burnt. Pain rolled off of them in waves, but I tried to pretend like it was nothing.

"Christian! Look at me! This was not your fault. If you hadn't done this, I would be dead or even worse. You saved me by not only doing that but also carrying me to the church." i checked his face to make sure that it was sinking in. "And you saved me when we first met. If you hadn't come along - "

Suddenly, I was gathered into his arms. "Lissa, I know I've only known you a month, and the first part of that month you hated at me, but I need to say this. I love you, Lissa Dragomir."

"I love you, too, Christian Ozera." Then, we were kissing. It started sweet and tender, but it slowly grew into something more.

I pulled back gasping for air. "Christian, we're in a church!"

He smirked, "So?"

"That's wrong! And what do you mean I hated you?"

"You hated me because you kept me from helping Rose even though you knew that you would have just died alongside her. You hated me because you could hear her screams as they - you know. And you hated me because you felt guilty - guilty for being happy while Rose is god knows where." As he said all of this, he was staring at me directly in the eyes.

"But I never hated you! I hated myself! I let all that happen, but you saved me. I would be dead without you! If you hadn't ran into me while I tried to get to Rose, she and I would both be dead. I was lucky that you realized what I was doing. I still don't know how you knew, though. We were strangers then." I looked at him curiously. "How _did _you know?"

"Well, everyone knows who you and Rose are and how you ran away. Also, I saw Rose and the strigoi fight. When I saw you coming, I knew I had to stop you. You aren't a guardian, but Rose is. she can handle herself."

"You are amazing," I said in awe.

* * *

RPOV

I woke up with a pounding headache, an empty heart and . . . the feeling of someone else encroaching on my mind.

The only other times when I felt that were when Lissa would -

Oh, god. Lissa.

She's dead.

But wait. The bond is still their.

That must mean -

SHE'S ALIVE!

Eagerly, I slipped into her mind to figure out what happened.

About ten minutes later, I emerged from my room looking like a monkey with my crazy hair and screwed up make -up, but I was ecstatic.

It turns out that Christian had saved Lissa. He had also burned that strigoi to a pleasant little crisp. Unfortunately, Lissa had also sustained some burn injuries, but she would be fine with time.

And time was something she did have now that she was actually alive!

I ran to the Guardian dorms. One second I was running down the hallway, and the next I was on my butt. I had smashed into a solid wall of muscle at full speed.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri asked as he helped me up. I brushed myself off and gave him a humongous smile.

"LISSA'S ALIVE!" I screamed at him. Judging by the incredulous look on his face, the news clearly hadn't sunk in yet.

"What? How?" he asked bewilderingly.

In a rush, I explained about Christian and Lissa. "And I know where she is! C'mon! We have to go!" I tugged at his hand like a petulant child in an attempt to get him moving.

"Okay. Where is she?" With that question, we were off to find my best friend.

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**I couldn't kill Lissa off. That would've ruined the whole story! I swear that the next chapter will be super exciting with more attacks and fighting and stuff. Something might even happen to Rose and Dimitri . . . **

**TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR MORE . . . BATTLE SCARS **

**don't forget to review! :) **

**Oh and sorry for any grammar mistakes and stuff like that.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy nor do I own Dimitri *sigh* He is all Rachelle Mead's**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey! Sorry I haven't updated lately. I have been swamped in homework! It's SOOOOOO annoying! We spend 8 hours at school then we have to go home and do MORE work. Not to mention the fact that some people actually have lives (not me by the way - this is all I do)and other stuff to do! people have other hobbies besides school like art and writing and soccer and stuff! **

**Well my rant is over now :) **

**Enjoy!**

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DPOV

Rose is . . . insane. That is the only way I can put it. She hasn't stopped surprising me since I met her. One minute, she is this beautiful, strong woman with no weaknesses despite the scars marring her skin. The next, she is crying in my arms.

That doesn't mean I don't understand because I totally do. She has been through so much. I don't know of anyone else who sacrifice as much as she has.

She was abandoned by her mom.

She witnessed her best friend's mental breakdown.

She doubted the only people she thought she could trust.

She was chased by those same people (for her and Lissa's protection but still).

She was chased by people who wanted her dead (not the Academy).

She was tortured.

She saw her best friend's death.

She realized she wasn't actually dead.

She has to put up with me.

And through all this she never stopped protecting Lissa, her charge.

As I drove the car down the deserted street, i could feel her watching me. I tried to ignore her, but my efforts were futile.

"What?" I asked.

Quickly, she turned away. "Nothing, I was just - I was just wondering something." That's odd. usually she would just speak her mind no matter the consequences.

"Wondering what?" Now I was curious. What has my Roza all tongue-tied?

"Do you have an - umm I mean have you - " She stopped and took a breath to gather herself before finally settling on, "How old are you?"

"Twenty four." When I said this, her face fell a bit. Hmm. Why was that?

We drove in silence until we reached a hotel.

"What are we doing here? We need to go get Lissa!" Rose exclaimed anxiously.

Mentally, I admired her passion, but on the outside I just said, "We need to rest and figure out what we are going to do exactly. Most likely, Christian and Lissa will run at the first sign that they have been found. Besides, Lissa is fine for now. She will be fine for a little while longer."

Rose pouted, but answered with a terse, "Fine." We checked into the hotel with almost no problem. Unfortunately, they didn't have any rooms available with two beds. Looks like I'll be on the floor.

Tossing my bag on the floor, I said "If you want, you can take a shower. I'll keep guard." She nodded and went into the bathroom. Before long, I heard the steady rush of the water.

After about twenty minutes, she emerged with wet hair and comfy looking flannel pajama pants on. She looked adorable like that.

"What are you staring at, Comrade?" she challenged, pulling me out of my reverie.

"What - oh, nothing," Quickly, I grabbed my clothes and shut the bathroom door behind me. The hot water was soothing on my skin. I was exhausted. I could only imagine how tired Rose was.

Rose.

My Roza.

God, these thoughts were so wrong. I was her teacher! She's a student! It's so inappropriate!

Trying to shove my improper thoughts out of my head, I stepped out of the steamy shower and changed into long pajama pants. Then, I went back into the room to find that Rose was laying on the bed.

The only bed.

And she was already asleep.

Crap.

Looks like I was sleeping on the couch tonight. I grabbed some pillows and a blanket from the bed carefully so as not to wake her up. Just as I was turning back, I heard a whimpered.

I looked at the once peaceful and serene form of Rose. Now, she had a grimaced plastered across her beautiful features, and she started to cry out. Immediately, I went to her and wrapped my arms around her. I pulled her onto my lap yet again.

Was this about Lissa, or the scars on her skin?

A scream interrupted my thought. I shook Rose to get her awake and out of her dreadful nightmare. Her eyes snapped open as she gasped for air. I stroked her hair and tried to comfort her, but I don't know if she even heard me. by that time, silent tears were streaming down her face.

"Roza, what happened?" I asked, heartbroken at seeing her in such pain.

"It wa -was when they tried to - to capture Lissa, and they - they tor-tortured me," she choked out in between hiccups caused from her crying. "Dimitri, it was horrible. It hurt so much." I knew that this was a big thing for her to admit. Rose never admitted to weakness

Rose looked up at me with tear filled eyes. At first, my eyes were glued to the two swirling pools of rich brown, but my gaze eventually traveled down to her lips. I could feel myself start to lean in. Just inches from her lips, I hesitated not sure if this was okay.

Before I could back out, Rose pressed her mouth against my own. Our breathing mingled as I touched my tongue to her lips, asking for entry. She granted me access to explore the inside of her mouth in a delicious tango of the tongues. My arms circled her waist as I felt her hands tangle in my long hair.

A small moan escaped her as I deepened the kiss and hesitantly glided my fingers under her shirt and across her bare skin. Following, she pushed her cold hands under my shirt and up my chest.

Oh, god. I never want to stop. This was heaven. Roza was heaven.

I gently pushed Rose onto the bed so I was on top of her. I made a trail of kisses across her jaw and down her neck. She smelled and tasted amazing.

I started to push her shirt up more, but pulled away instead.

"Roza, we can't do this," I murmured, trying to hide how much she affected my self-control. A hurt expression flitted across her face. I rushed to explain, "You're my student. That's not appropriate. Also, we're both going to be guarding Lissa. This could endanger her life."

Sighing, Rose wriggled out from under me. "I know. It's just, I didn't think that -" Abruptly, she stopped.

"Didn't think what?" I asked curiously and slightly concerned.

"That anybody would want me after what he . . . did." Rose looked away, ashamed and embarrassed.

I put hand on her chin and turned her face towards me as I said, "Roza, you're beautiful even with your scars. Actually, the scars only add to it. They show how strong you are. I love that about you."

With her face pressed into my shirt she mumbled, "It's not just the scars. It's what he did. How he . . . touched me."

Oh, god. That couldn't mean what I thought it did. Rage flooded through my body. I held Rose against me even more firmly as if I could protect her from the horrors of the past.

I cussed violently in Russian. Then in English I growled, "What did he do? I will kill him. I will hunt him down and kill him! That bastard!"

A hand caressed my face as a plaintive voice whispered, "Just tell me. You don't think I'm . . . ruined, do you?"

I was shocked! "Of course not! It wasn't your fault! He deserves worse than what he did to you!" Gently, I kissed her forehead before murmuring, "Go to sleep. You must be tired."

Scared eyes gazed up at me. She gripped my hand and asked, "Can you, I mean, would you stay me tonight? Please? The nightmares, they might come back."

"Of course." I pulled her up into my arms bridal style and pulled back the covers. I laid her down on the bed then got in beside her. Instantly, she snuggled up close and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around.

As sleep enclosed me in its warm embrace, I murmured to Rose, "Goodnight."

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**HEY! how was that for some Dimitri and Rose action? Oh and please Review! **

**I'm going to be on vacation soon, and there will be no internet so I won't be able to update until like Monday. I will try to at least type it while I'm gone so I can upload it immediately. **

**REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

**This chapter is really long to make up for the wait! **

**Diclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Academy series!**

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RPOV

Footsteps pounding on the stone. Ragged breathing. Panic. Fear. Pursuing red eyes catching up. Oh, god. He's close. Push my legs harder. Burning lungs. Thump as I'm tackled to the cold alley ground. A flash of a dagger. Finality of knowing it's over. Lissa. She's safe. I can die.

The fiery pain of the knife carving my skin. Not being able to breathe. A scream bubbling from my stomach. Trying to get free. Thrashing my body. Darkness.

I woke up screaming. My body trembled as I remembered my nightmare. I could feel the sweat produced from my horrifying dream mingling with the tears that cascaded down my face. Warm arms encircled me and my head rested on a hard, bare chest.

A soothing voice whispered comforting words into my ear, but I couldn't decipher them. I cried harder and buried my face against Dimitri's muscled body.

After I calmed down a bit, Dimitri asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

At first, I didn't say anything, but eventually I tried to explain the atrocities of my night.

"It was that night except I couldn't fight back. I was helpless. He started to - to torture me, and I was screaming because it hurt so much, but I knew I could die because Lissa is safe. But he didn't kill me. And that's almost worst. The only good thing is that I met you." Throughout my speech, I had stopped talking about my nightmare and started talking about the Night.

"I'm sorry that that happened to you, but I'm glad it caused me to meet you." With those words, his lips glided across mine in a tender kiss. That tender kiss morphed into a passionate make out that left me breathless for more.

Dimitri pulled back before things could progress faster than we could handle.

"We should get up. We need to find Lissa and Christian." I groaned at this thought. He was always so rational. I just wanted to lay there in his arms. It was soo comfortable, it's the first time I've ever really felt safe in a while.

Sighing, I untangled myself from his tempting arms. At some point last night, he had taken his tear stained shirt off so when I stood up, I admired the eight pack that stretched across his tanned stomach.

Man, he is gorgeous, I thought.

"Why, thank you," he said smugly. A blush crept across my cheeks as I realized I said that out loud.

"I'm going to get dressed." I fleed to the bathroom to get away from his distracting body.

I slammed the door and slumped against the wall. I was so confused. I knew we couldn't be together because of him being my mentor and us both guarding Lissa, but I couldn't help but want to be with him. Waking up today had been one of the best mornings I've ever had despite the nightmare.

I couldn't deal with this right now. I had to find Lissa.

I delved into her thoughts just long enough to check that she was safe. Sure enough, she was fine and still with Christian.

I quickly got changed and stepped back into the room. To my dismay, Dimitri had put a black t-shirt on over his yummy torso.

Oh, god. Did I just use the word, yummy? What was happening to me?

"Let's go," I said with more confidence than I actually felt.

We drove all day to get to Lissa. I had discovered that she was at a ski lodge. Lucky. While I was unconscious for the better part of a month and then training, she had been skiing and cuddling in front of a fire with Christian! Oh well. I'd rather have that than have her . . . dead.

After about ten hours of driving and talking, I felt like I knew Dimitri so much better now. I was almost sad when we arrived.

That feeling was short lived, though. I could practically feel Lissa near me. Suddenly, I took off running towards her. I couldn't contain myself. I hadn't seen her in so long.

Dimly, I could hear Dimitri on my heels, but I didn't slow down. I knew he could keep up.

I got to her door breathless. All of a sudden, I was hesitant. It's been awhile since I had seen her, and I had failed her. I had let that strigoi find us. Would she be mad?

Dimitri appeared next to me. He must have seen my indecision because he rapped on the door. After a few seconds, Christian answered the door. He looked slightly annoyed.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he demanded.

A voice I was very familiar with asked from behind him, "Christian stop harassing them and give them a chance to - " Lissa's voice cut off when she saw who we were.

"Rose," she murmured in awe. A bright smile lit up her face. Just as she was about to throw herself at me in a hug, she froze.

"What happened," she whispered. That was when I remembered my scars. Self consciously, I tried to cover them up.

She seemed to notice this do she said, "C'mon in." We entered a spacious suite that was befitting of a princess. Considering this was Lissa, it seemed about right.

I noticed that the bed was still mussed up. They must be on the moroi schedule, unlike us. To make up time we had switched to the human time frame.

We settled in the living room. Lissa and Christian sat on the couch - very closely I must say - while Dimitri and I sat on chairs across from them.

An uncomfortable silence stretched across the room until Christian said, "So you're the infamous Rose. I've heard a lot about you." I nodded in confirmation. "and who are you?" he demanded of Dimitri.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Dimitri Belikov. I'm going to be the princess's guardian." It was odd to hear him speak so formally. I wasn't used to people calling Lissa 'princess'.

Abruptly, Lissa broke in. "So what happened that night? Why did you sacrifice yourself like that?"

I looked down at my hands. "they were after you. I couldn't let them get to you. I was your guardian. Remember, they come first."

"but why didn't they just kill you? It's not like them to let you go," Lissa sounded desperate for answers so I tried to give them to her as best as I could.

"They hardly just let me go. They wanted you, but I refused to tell them," my voice was steely with resolve. It was the right thing to do and I didn't regret it one bit. Lissa on the other hand, looked like she was going to be sick.

"This happened because of me?" She reached a hand out as if to touch me, but I jerked back. I could feel her anguish through the bond. Why couldn't she understand that this is my job, and stuff like that happens; it's not her fault.

"No, Lissa. Listen to me. I don't regret my decision. I could have run and hidden with you, but they would have caught us. I'm still alive, and I can still protect you. My ability to fight wasn't affected." During this speech, I had avoided looking at everyone, but now I did. I saw Christian's horrified gaze, Lissa's disgusted face, and Dimitri's blank one. Even though he had his guardian mask on, I could still detect a spark of concern and sympathy in his eyes.

I couldn't stand this! I had mostly come to terms with it, but now everyone was making me doubt it. I shot out of the chair and ran out the door. I sprinted away from the judgmental stares. I didn't even know where I was going. I just wanted to get away.

Finally, I stopped in a small, deserted courtyard. I was out of breath, and I could feel tears staring to bubble up from my eyes. I refused to let them out, though. I was strong. I wouldn't cry.

I sat on the ground with my knees pulled up and my arms wrapped around them. I don't know how long it was before I heard footsteps approaching. I guess my friends did come after me. I was starting to think they wouldn't. That was when I realized that when I took a glimpse into Lissa's mind, they were all still at the suite.

I felt a hand come down on my shoulder. Without thinking, I flipped my assailant on his back.

He let out a huge oomph as he slammed against the ground. I tensed and reached for my stake only to realize I had left it with Dimitri in my coat.

I was ready to somehow dispose of him when I noticed that he wasn't strigoi.

A moroi and not just any moroi.

Adrian Ishakova (A/N I don't really remember his last name. I think its something like this).

He was a notorious ladies man as well as the nephew of the queen, Tatiana.

"Jeez. Don't need to nearly kill a man just because he was checking if you're okay!" He sat up, rubbing his back.

"What do you want?" I asked, still on the defensive.

"Like I said, I wanted to see if you're okay. I don't like seeing beautiful women look so sad," he said with a smirk.

This made me weary. I used to have guys calling me beautiful because of my exotic looks and curvy body, but that was before the Night.

"Yeah, right. I'm sure that was your reason," I bluffed sarcastically, masking my unease.

He just shrugged and have me a sly grin. "I'm Adrian, and you are?"

"Rose Hathaway."

His eyes widened in recognition. "Ah, the famous Rose Hathaway. I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh, great," I muttered. No doubt he had heard the rumors spread about me by either jealous girls or rejected guys.

"All good things, of course," he said with a knowing smile. This guy certainly lived up to his reputation. He was disgusting.

I turned to go, but he put a hand on my arm. You think he would have learned by now.

I quickly flew out of his grasp and did a roundhouse kick into his stomach. His breath flew out of him as he stumbled backwards.

In a flash, I had him pinned down. "Don't ever touch me," I growled.

I squeezed his arms hard enough for him to get the message, but a deep voice rumbled from behind me, "I think he's learned his lesson, Rose. You can let him go now." I didn't listen to Dimitri. I just pressed my knee into Adrian's stomach. He winced in pain, but still managed to keep a smirk on my face. This infuriated me to no end. He needed to pay. I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't control myself.

A black rage enveloped me.

I tried to kick and punch him, but two strong hands held me back. "LET ME GO!" I screamed.

"Rose! Stop! What did he do? It's okay, Rose. Just calm down." I knew I couldn't escape from Dimitri's strong grasp, but I attempted anyways. I bucked and thrashed to no avail. In defeat, I slumped against his capable body.

Dimitri half dragged me down the hallway away from Adrian. I didn't know where we were going, and I honestly couldn't focus enough to care. After an immeasurable amount of time, we arrived at a room much smaller than Lissa's. I guess this is what we could afford.

Once we entered the room, Dimitri let me go. I was tense and the black rage still encompassed me.

"What happened, Rose." His voice reflected worry and something else. Protectiveness?

My jaw was clenched so tight that I didn't dare open my mouth to speak.

Because of my silence, Dimitri pleaded with me, "C'mon, Roza. Tell me. I'm only going to think the worst, and then I'll have to go and do something about it. I don't mind hurting him if he actually did something, but if he didn't . . . "

Finally, I answered tersely, "Maybe he needs to be hurt. Maybe he needs to learn a lesson. Maybe that's for the best."

Dimitri looked shocked. "Rose, you know that's not right. That's savage!"

"People who do savage things need to be dealt with the same way."

"Roza, I don't think you're talking about what happened with Adrian anymore." He seemed hesitant to say this, as if it would make me mad.

He was right. "You don't know me! You don't know anything about me! So stop acting like you do!" I screamed.

Despite my outburst, Dimitri's voice was still gentle and soothing. "Roza, I do know you. I feel like I've known you all my life. I know I shouldn't be saying any of this because of you being my student and Lissa's guardian and all, but it's true. I care for you more than I should."

That sucked all of the anger right out of me. Dimitri seemed to notice this because he pulled me into a tight hug. He kept repeating "Roza. Oh, Roza." while he stroked my hair.

I slowly pulled back from his embrace, slightly embarrassed. After all, this was like the third break down I've had in front of him.

"So why did you go so . . . crazy?" he asked cautiously.

I knew why. This has happened before. I sat on the bed, ready to explain. "it's Lissa. Using spirit causes this darkness to form in her mind, almost like a black knot. I can take it away when I want to, but mostly it just bleeds into me. It makes me go insane. It made Lissa do things to herself. When I discovered I could pull it away from her, I was so relieved. Then I realized what it made me do. I kept taking it away, though. I would do anything for her."

Dimitri engulfed me in a hug. "Oh, Roza. It's going to be okay,"

"what if it isn't? What if I can't fight it? What if it takes me over?" my voice shook with fear of the future.

"But you are strong. You can fight it. Don't ever doubt yourself!" He looked me in the eye as he said this. I couldn't escape his gaze.

I nodded.

Then I heard it.

Screaming.

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**And just for RozaRocks I put Adrian in there. I realized I needed more characters. He will show up later too **


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, let me just say this I'm sorry that I ruined the entire last chapter. Misspelling Adrian's last name totally wrecked the entire plot. The last name was pivotal to the story . . . . **

**NOT!**

**So all of you guest reviewers who are either to lazy to log on or have commitment issues or something have better get over it. I'm sorry that you have no life, but I actually do. I was on vacation and barely got a chance to upload that chapter. Also, I didn't have my books with me. But thank you for taking the time to read my story and review it. Next time, I won't make the mistake of misspelling that VERY important name. I will remember that it is IVASHKOV (even though I wasn't that far off with my spelling of it)**

**And thank you so much to my loyal reviewer: RozaRocks! Without your helpful advice this story would not be going anywhere. Because of you, I might even bring some of Rose's old friends in (hint: One of them dies)**

**ENJOY!**

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Lissa POV

One minute, I was sitting on Christian's lap comforting me. I worried about Rose. I still didn't know exactly what happened that night, but I had a pretty good idea. I didn't know how to work through this. How do you comfort your best friend that sacrificed herself for you? How do you help her when you can't even begin to imagine what she's going through? How do you help someone who won't let you in?

Suddenly, the door flew open. Pale men with red rimmed eyes barged in, their fangs bared.

Strigoi

Christian POV

It felt so good to have Lissa in my arms, even though it was to comfort her. She was so torn up about what happened to Rose, and it was killing her. I thought about how Rose had saved Lissa, the girl I loved, and I tightened my arms around her protectively. I wasn't there to help Lissa then, but I'm not going to let anything happen to her now.

That was when the Strigoi burst into the room.

Looks like my resolve was about to be tested.

Adrian POV

God, that hurt. I don't really know what happened back there. That girl Rose went crazy. I had heard a lot about her . . . if you know what I mean . . . but I didn't believe the rumors. After all, I had been subject to many spreading lies, too.

I couldn't help being curious, though.

Here was a gorgeous girl who apparently could fight like no tomorrow (she was going to be a guardian) and could walk around with scars marring her perfect skin like she didn't even care. It was almost like the scars were a part of her. She was just so damn confident.

I was so immersed in my thoughts about the mysterious Rose Hathaway that I didn't even notice the pale figure lunging at me or the woman with the flaming red hair who jumped in front to block the attack.

Unknown POV (FOR NOW . . . event though you can probably guess who )

Finally! I was free! I had vacation! I could stop training 24/7 and just relax. The Academy has such a rigorous schedule sometimes that it makes me not want to become a guardian. Then I think of Rose, my best friend gone missing, and I'm ashamed that I ever thought that.

For some reason, she took Lissa and ran away. I don't know why. I haven't seen her in two years. So much has changed without her.

Just as I was thinking this, I thought I saw Rose. I must be going crazy.

That couldn't be her. The girl who looked like her was dragged down the hallway by that guardian I had seen at school.

Dimitri or something like that. He was supposed to be like a god or something.

Rose's look-alike had long black hair, way longer than what Rose's had been. When that hair swished out of her face, I nearly gasped.

There were raised pink lines visible even from the distance I was at. It looked like someone had tortured her.

I decided to follow them.

Dimitri POV

When Rose ran from the room while we were talking to Lissa and Christian, I freaked out. I immediately got up to follow her. I saw her race out the door. She weaved up and down hallways. I don't think she knew where she was or wanted to go. I managed to keep her in sight for a while, but she eventually slipped away.

I was walking back to the suite in defeat when I heard voices and then a loud thump. I peeked around the corner to see a secluded courtyard. A man was on the ground rubbing his backside while a girl towered over him.

Rose!

I was about to make my presence known when there was some shouting and Rose had the guy pinned down. She growled something unintelligible at him. He winced in pain. I decided I should probably make my appearance now.

"I think he's learned his lesson, Rose. You can let him go now." She didn't seem to hear me. Either that or she just didn't want to hear me. She pressed her knee into his stomach and he winced in pain. Despite that, he was still smirking.

Rose's face filled with rage. She tried to kick and punch him, but I managed to restrain her in time.

"LET ME GO!" she screamed in my face.

"Rose! Stop! What did he do? It's okay, Rose. Just calm down." Now I was really worried about her. She tried to escape, but my grip was too strong. In defeat, she let her body go limp against mine.

I had to practically drag her back to our room. I finally let her go, but she was still tense, and she hadn't calmed down any.

"What happened, Rose." If he did anything to her, after what she's been through . . . there would be hell to pay.

Rose just turned her head away.

"C'mon, Roza. Tell me. I'm only going to think the worst, and then I'll have to go and do something about it. I don't mind hurting him if he actually did something, but if he didn't . . . "

This made her reply, "Maybe he needs to be hurt. Maybe he needs to learn a lesson. Maybe that's for the best."

What? This isn't Rose something's wrong here. "Rose, you know that's not right. That's savage!"

"People who do savage things need to be dealt with the same way."

"Roza, I don't think you're talking about what happened with Adrian anymore." I chose my words carefully so as not to set her off again.

"You don't know me! You don't know anything about me! So stop acting like you do!" she screamed. I guess I didn't choose the right words after all.

I tried to soothe her. I kept my voice gentle and loving. "Roza, I do know you. I feel like I've known you all my life. I know I shouldn't be saying any of this because of you being my student and Lissa's guardian and all, but it's true. I care for you more than I should."

My words seemed to affect her. Her body stopped fighting, and she relaxed into me. I started to stroke her hair softly. "Roza. Oh, Roza." I kept repeating this over and over.

Slowly, Rose pulled away. She wouldn't meet my eyes. She seemed almost embarrassed to have had a breakdown in front of me.

"So why did you go so . . . crazy?" I asked cautiously.

She sighed. "It's Lissa. Using spirit causes this darkness to form in her mind, almost like a black knot. I can take it away when I want to, but mostly it just bleeds into me. It makes me go insane. It made Lissa do things to herself. When I discovered I could pull it away from her, I was so relieved. Then I realized what it made me do. I kept taking it away, though. I would do anything for her."

I pulled her into a tight embrace. "Oh, Roza. It's going to be okay," Oh, Rose. She's gone through so much.

"what if it isn't? What if I can't fight it? What if it takes me over?" Her voice trembled. I hated seeing her like this.

"But you are strong. You can fight it. Don't ever doubt yourself!" I made eye contact and held it until she agreed.

Then I heard it.

Screaming.

RPOV

We ran out of the room. I quickly looked into Lissa's head to see if it was her in trouble.

It was.

I sprinted towards her room just in time to see a group of strigoi dragging Lissa and Christian away. i didn't have a stake, but I was willing to bet that Dimitri did. I punched the first strigoi in the face then followed with a roundhouse kick. He managed to dodge part of the blow, but it slowed him down some. I checked out my surroundings for a weapon of some kind.

I grabbed a picture frame the hung on the wall next to me. I sunk into a fighting stance as he charged me. I neatly stepped out of the way and swung the sharp edge of my makeshift weapon at his back. This strigoi was quick, though. She turned in time so that it only grazed his arm. He retaliated with a swift punch to my head that flung me through the air about 5 feet.

I crashed to the floor with a sickening thud. I glance around to see ashes on the ground. I didn't have time to dwell on the oddness of that because my strigoi came at me again. This time, his fangs were bared, and he lunged at my neck. I didn't have the strength to move out of the way.

A strange burning sensation flared in my neck then cooled down into a pleasant rush of endorphins as I slipped into the unconscious realm.

* * *

**Sorry it took me awhile to update. I've had so much homework. I had 5 tests in 3 days! **

**I'm not going to update until I get 7 reviews! SO REVIEW!**


	11. AN

Hey loyal followers!

This isn't a chapter. I just wanted to say I'm sorry that its been so long, but I got writer's block. I just wasn't interested in it anymore but I will be working on a new chapter soon. It's going to take a while, though. If anyone has any ideas just let me know; they might help me :)

I appreciate all of the reviews and the support!

Thanks for the patience!

~TH~


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